substrate upgrade-lot of Qs

[MurphyFish]

Hi all!

I have been really happy with my plants for the most part after the lighting upgrade...the chilensis is still dying, but I will replace it soon. Everything else is thriving.

So now I am thinking of a substrate upgrade from plain gravel. Added laterite about 5 years ago- so its probably useless now. I read so many conflicting things....was sold on Eco Complete until I read that it will alter the gH and the carbonate hardness (already have a hard water problem). Heard that Aquasoil amazonia would be great for plants and my fish (S. American tetras, cory cats, rasboras) but would become a muddy mess and make the water cloudy. Would there be any sense in putting down a layer (20#/9L) of the aquasoil and then putting eco complete on top to contain the mud?
Do you think they would cancel each other out as far as effects on the chemistry? I really want soft acidic water to keep things as natural as possible for the fish.
Is Eco Complete soft enough for the cory cats?
Thanks again for all your help, you guys are great.
Anne

 

[fort384]

I have used aquasoil for a couple of years, and it has never become a muddy mess. Plants grow like crazy in it (more than laterite imo, which I have also used).

Granted, it would be tough to put it in an established tank - it is a mess for the first day or so, but it all settles out nicely. But the big problem with putting in an established tank is that for the first couple of weeks, it leaches ammonia into the water. You could "cure it" for a couple of weeks in a bucket of water, doing frequent changes to get rid of the ammonia. Once it is "cured" the ammonia problem goes away and all that is left is what I consider one of the best substrates out there.

 

[MurphyFish]

Thanks Fort! I am leaning towards the EcoComplete for this tank, and waiting on the AquaSoil. I will be relocating in about a year and will need to move the tank- might be easier to just start over with the Aquasoil (and a bigger tank) then. Plus I don't want to risk the fish- finally have managed not to kill cardinal tetras for the first time, and the cory cats are nearly 9 years old.
Thanks again, will post before and after pics

 

[mgamer20o0]

used eco many times know tons of people who have used eco and havent heard about the ph problem. maybe its a new type of thing? its fine with cories.

aquasoil is the only one with real nutrients in it. some of the i believe amazon 2 had problems breaking down.

there are other options out there you dont have to spend a ton of "plant" substrate.

 

[MurphyFish]

sooo I did end up ordering the Aquasoil to put as the bottom layer and some Eco as the top layer. Got to thinking about the Aquasoil and the ammonia leaching. I definitely don't want to risk the fish. Seems like that ammonia could be put to good use, say, if one had a new tank that needed cycling . But then I couldn't let the old tank and all that cycled gravel just go in storage, something will have to live in there too...
Look what you all have done to me. I have resorted to measuring the backseat of my car to determine how big the new tank can be. Looks like 55 will be the winner, with 2 inches to spare.
Kind of a silly question though- someone said that by getting a bigger tank, some of the fish that may have been stunted by the smaller one will start to get bigger. This isn't true, is it? My pictus catfish ate 4 cardinal tetras in one night, I can't image what he could do if he was bigger.